Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore individual factors predicting support for harsher punishments for relatively common and uncommon serious offenders. Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, 120 UK participants (60 males and 60 females; mean age =37.31 SD=16.74) completed a survey exploring the extent to which they supported harsher punishments (SHP) for first time and repeat fraud, sexual and violent offenders. In Study 2, 131 participants (70 Britons and 61 Singaporeans; 69 females and 62 males; mean age=31.57; SD=10.87) completed a similar survey exploring their support for life sentence without the possibility of parole (SLSWP) for rather uncommon repeat offenders (i.e. drug traffickers, human traffickers, serious sexual offenders). Findings Study 1 found that right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) was an SHP predictor for first time and repeat fraud, violent and sex offenders. Study 2 found that national identity (i.e. how British or Singaporean participants felt) played a similar role to Study 1’s RWA in being a positive SLSWP predictor for repeat human traffickers and drug traffickers of both sexes, as well as male sex offenders. In contrast to the hypothesis, however, participants’ locations did not appear to play a statistically significant role. Research limitations/implications This survey-based research reveals a nuanced and quite consistent picture that could benefit from the inclusion of socio-economic factors and other cross-cultural comparisons. Practical implications The key message from this study is to inform the public on the role that right-wing authoritarianism and national identity play in their SHP and SLSWP. Social implications It is vital to increase the legislators’ and the public awareness of the role that national identity and RWA seem to play. Originality/value The paper offers insight into factors behind people’s punitive attitudes towards specific crimes regardless of geo-cultural location.

中文翻译：

---

支持对普通罪犯和罕见罪犯进行更严厉刑罚的因素

目的本文的目的是探讨预测支持相对较普通和不常见的严重犯罪者处以更严厉刑罚的个人因素。设计/方法/方法在研究1中，120名英国参与者（60名男性和60名女性；平均年龄= 37.31 SD = 16.74）完成了一项调查，探讨了他们首次支持更严厉的惩罚（SHP）并重复欺诈，性行为的程度。和暴力罪犯。在研究2中，有131名参与者（70名英国人和61名新加坡人； 69名女性和62名男性；平均年龄= 31.57； SD = 10.87）完成了一项类似的调查，探讨了他们支持无期徒刑（SLSWP）的无期徒刑（很少重复）罪犯（即贩毒者，人口贩子，严重的性犯罪者）。调查结果1发现，右翼专制主义（RWA）首次成为SHP的预测指标，并且屡屡欺诈，暴力和性犯罪。研究2发现，民族身份（即英国或新加坡参与者的感受）在研究SLSWP为阳性的重复贩运者和贩毒者以及男性和男性犯罪者中起到了与研究1的RWA类似的作用。然而，与假设相反，参与者的位置似乎没有发挥统计学上的重要作用。研究的局限性/含意本项基于调查的研究揭示了一种细微且相当一致的图景，可以从纳入社会经济因素和其他跨文化比较中受益。实际意义该研究的关键信息是向公众通报右翼专制主义和民族认同在其SHP和SLSWP中的作用。社会影响至关重要的是，要提高立法者和公众对国家认同和RWA似乎扮演的角色的认识。原创性/价值这篇论文深入探讨了人们对特定犯罪的惩罚态度背后的因素，无论其地理位置如何。